World Cup 2018: 6 Memorable Off-Field Moments

Croatia’s World Cup Final Party

Croatian fans before the World Cup final

Croatia’s journey to the World Cup final was an extraordinary achievement. The small Mediterranean country, with a population of only 4 million people, had never reached a major tournament final since their acceptance into FIFA in 1992. However, two penalty shootout victories and a win in extra time meant Croatia could almost feel victory.

The euphoria of reaching a World Cup final spread from Moscow to Zagreb as Croatian fans put on a huge party in the hours leading up to the big match. In Zagreb, hundreds of thousands took to the streets with a synchronized dance and enormous Croatian flag. The scenes are unbelievable, just watch below.

Croatia fans before the match#WorldCupFinal #FRACROpic.twitter.com/13jkEIEhs0

— Gitau 🇰🇪 (@ItsGitau_) July 15, 2018

HAPPENING NOW: It's Croatia's first ever #WorldCupFinal. Football fans in Croatia's captial city Zagreb hold a huge national flag to celebrate the match #FRACRO pic.twitter.com/1s47kAaqBJ

— The Nation's Opinion (@TNationsOpinion) July 15, 2018

While they missed out on lifting the trophy, Croatian fans remained upbeat and stayed to celebrate, jump, and dance long after the final whistle.

🇭🇷 Respect! Croatia fans after the game, still having fun despite the result and even singing ‘thank you, Russia’ 👏#CRO #WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/7FPJWhkMKO

— COPA90 (@COPA90) July 15, 2018